The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-10-08
HE MOHAWK VALLEY.
a VISIT TO THE HISTORIC
NEIGHBOHHOOD.
JDhn>town-t sketch from Nature
The Tomb Of stanton.

\
New TX i. the royal grant Of seven hundred
and ,,.ycnty-fiyc acres Of land IN the Mohawk
Vale 70 Arrhibal Kennedy. E~g. and others.
from George |. King, of England" This
grant, which covers many of the historical
spots "a this state, bears the date of April
18th ~, and is still in an excellent state OF
preservation, although over one hundred and
sixty wears Old Last summer while travelling
throu n this lovely valley, whose river winds
tlr,g-A III most beautiful pastoral landscape,
! caI." upon thriving town, Johnstown,
who's Infancy he San during the French and
ladIau var.
Cur readers will. no doubt, read with inter-
est If This place, which claimed the writer's
attention for two whole weeks, and which yet
bear, :hr marks of the past, while keeping
s:,p with the present
In Ills town, which is only sixty miles from
Alha.r. stands one of the oldest forts in the
United States. Ii was huilt by Sir William
johnson at the beginning Of the French and
Indian War. The inhabitants of the valley are
Justly proud Cf the career Of Sir William john
son, who settled i'll these northern wilds and
won for himself and region 4 worthy place in
history.
Historians tel us that he was an Irish cme-
gram. possessed of unusual bodily strength
and vigorous mind He enlisted in the mi
EtlI a. a common soldier and, through his
marye Gus Influence with the Mohawk Indians,
that captured Crown Point and Quebec. For
this service the King "f England knighted
him and appointed him Royal Superintendent
az Indian Affairs, with an allowance of five
Thousand pounds a year.
The old fort stands few wards from the
mansion or manor house. II is about twenty
feet square. and is built Of rough stone and
solid masonry with the port holes placed very
high. In strange contrast To its outward
frowninG appearance. the interior has been
remoielcd, and III ii live the oversCcr and
hi, pleasant family. making it Official: to re-
alze that the fort ever echoed to- the war cries
of h.ondthlrSty savaSes and scarcely less san
culinary soldiers.
look at the old mansion that has stood
one hVndrcl and fifiy-six years vel! rcpays
YOU f'r your long walk up the dusty road from
til" town.
Through the courtesy of John Wells, Esq,
a direct descendant Of Sir William johnson.
and that of the present owner, we were per-
m,tel 70 examine the house from cellar TO
Cupo.d. Il l. Il handsome house even in these
days. and, when Won learn that every bit Of
timber and al material used in Its construc-
tinu was brought from England To New Ans
trrlan harhnr. then transported to the forests
of northern New York, without the all of rail-
roal @: steamboat, the vencratiOn of its ago
incrcg.cs.
The cntran.c - tho house i through
hung cu I'll" high walls are fine old paintings,
among them portrait of SIR William John
son.
On the left Of the hall il the drawing-ro0m,
furnished in ii" style of a century ago, and
cxto:.iinS the whr'c depth of the house, per-
haps siXty feet In this room you feel more
strongly the inlucarc Of the place.
The g:ict ruo:a seems again popped with
III. stately pnv,lcrn heads of WOLF, Amherst.
Shirley AMI IonlJNr; names all familiar TO us
in oi:r s,ncp,.iivs when we studied with in
di-naricn of the a'-nc ties committed in the
hau'icul Mohawk Valley. II is as though we
ar rough: suddenly face to fac, with those
people who - Us existed only in looks.
There arises Dc!OT' IlS n vision Of the gentle,
wcil-hcloycd Gen. W,.f rrp-s.ns the ley st.
Lawrence. to storm the HEIGHTS of ABRAHAM,
AMI reading ~ tie soldiers in his boat Gray's
beautiful ElcGy. iu-t published. His noble
trihu'- - men OF ltt.rrS again echoes through
oar minds. His wri-rcmembcrcd words, Il
would rather he -hc author of Gray's EleGy
than he commander of the English army"
make a tender spot in :hc heart Of every
writer FOR the mcu,ory # the brAycanI gallant
soldier.
We were arnu,..l f.om orr rCvcrir by our
conlu ..o~ rru,.':i.u- IL that -" upper rooms
were worthy of Il Wit. Or"iuG Up broad
MAHOGANY stairway, We reached The second
floor rooms. ~, large, airy chambers. furnished
n in tie niicu-tuc. In" wa!l' are flushed
to match the panels If the closets. AMI vou arc
immediately reminded o. dozen, of English
stories. in viii IA the laro! of a c.osct and a
missing vii were the pr!I'ipalS - III" plot.
The .iirl foor j. nlu,h ike Che cOnl; but
when Won reach IA, fourth voT =: nj IN s:.ert
admiration at the ~core before yu'. forgetting
all about your fatigue AMI shrr ned breath.
The rram is sgua-c clIro!a. with every side a
window. To the north and northeast lie the
Adirondack mountains. and You almost fancy
the distant Canadian shore. Tie mountains,
b,rc IN the distan. e. show clearly against the
autumn sky. while before YOU. and ON either
sid i, the beautiful valley Of the Nohaws.
Nowhere can sch sc,r'ry he fourd as that
in lie Mohawk ya',,y IN ,ariy autumn. The
frost comes earlier than along the iludSon and
changes the trees. while yet IN their full sum
ncr dress, to .lcs Of solid red and gold